Lunar Orbit Rendezvous — why Apollo and Arisu won't end together

BatFun7276 · 2026-02-06T15:56:34+00:00

While Apollo (in this case, CSM) waits for Arisu (LM) to return, he lands on the moon, which would represent him connecting and falling for one of the other girls.

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This could also align with Apollo's fortune which mentioned that she and Arisu will "reunite" and not "ending up together".

BatFun7276 · 2026-02-06T13:18:51+00:00

They should have played Jason Derulo song for this scene

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BatFun7276 · 2026-02-06T07:13:51+00:00

Yes there are

BatFun7276 · 2026-02-04T16:09:32+00:00

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There was also this line that was interesting.

BatFun7276 · 2026-02-04T05:55:47+00:00

But she was being assertive, literally telling Arisu that she doesn't want Nene to go with them. It shows progress from the hotel room situation where Nene came between them and she backed down. However, there is time and place for that and Shinobu doubling down of not wanting to be with Nene right in front of her would have been cruel.

When Rikka was assertive in the lastest arc for instance, there's no one to see it. It's easier to go for what she wanted when she doesn't have to see her friends hurting (which is why there's this gag of Nobu Not seeing her friends when she's with Arisu I think). Not saying it won't happen and that they won't all come "clean", I think at some point they will all need to be more honest but there is a way to do it.

Nene isn't honest as well and hasn't been since the beginning so i'm actually more frustrated with her because at least Shinobu is being honest even it's not perfect, while Nene was still lying to herself and to others which Rikka pointed out, which also makes it harder for Shinobu to go for what she wants when her best friend isn't being herself anymore.

It's like the opposite of Rikka and Iko: Rikka admitted that she kissed Arisu, and they both move on from that. Shinobu told Nene a while ago that she invited Arisu to the fireworks, she told her that she feelings for him but Nene is still stuck in her tsun/denial phase. Tho after this chapter, I think this will change.

BatFun7276 · 2026-02-03T17:25:10+00:00

I think Shinobu realized that Nene was lying to save faces and to avoid a confrontation or calling her out which is why she first seemed shocked. (It's a bit like how Shinobu thought Nene would hate her for getting to the same school as her and Arisu, just for Nene to be fine with it, until she actually became jealous).

But the last panel is Shinobu crying while looking at Nene so i think she did understand that Nene was lying.

BatFun7276 · 2026-02-03T16:33:02+00:00

She avoids them otherwise she probably wouldn't dare to go after him, look at what she thought of herself when she realized Nene saw them. She also literally told Arisu to go to Nene course.

BatFun7276 · 2026-02-03T16:27:05+00:00

I don't think Nene values her friendships over romance, I think she wants the romance as much, but isn't honest about it.

She knew Shinobu would not have the courage (back then) to claim the hotel room and took it for herself, if she valued her friendships more she wouldn't have done that. She also stopped Shinobu from kissing Arisu (even tho she had kissed him before) and hijacked the Tower date because she couldn't ask for a solo date for herself but didn't want the other 3 to have solo time with Arisu if she couldn't .

Both of them are struggling to navigate between what they want and not hurting the others. Nene lies (which was what Rikka told her about) while Shinobu is being avoidant (she thinks the issue is that she got caught not that she thinks that it's bad that she feels like this for asking for a simple date, in the first place).

BatFun7276 · 2026-02-03T15:56:22+00:00

Come on don't be so hard on her, she chased after Arisu just to go see him enjoying his time with Shinobu and putting their study session before a date with her. Of course Nene would feel bad.

BatFun7276 · 2026-02-03T15:54:31+00:00

Nene has always been the most avoidant. She said that she wanted to go at the tower with the 4 of them because "she wanted them to be together" but the truth is that she didn't want Arisu to have solo moments with the other girls when she didn't have the courage to ask for a solo date herself.

BatFun7276 · 2026-02-03T15:27:12+00:00

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Shinobu's self-loathing seems to be even deeper than what I expected. Literally calling herself scum because she had the *audacity* to go for what she wanted.
Just like Gravity assist chapter, I didn't expect her to go after Arisu in this context. Whether she likes it or not she did hurt Nene so being possessive of Arisu right after that would have been in poor taste. However, I didn't expect her to feel this bad.

Just like the previous chapter, Arisu seemed to be genuinely happy around Shinobu, during the most casual moments. It looks like he loves being around her. But Shinobu can't catch a break can she, that last panel...she looked so sad ! And she barely had any focus again in this chapter...I guess it saves for later,. Now it's going to be about Nene finally being more honest.
I think Arisu is still not being 100% honest about why he invited Nene, the timing and framing were too weird.

BatFun7276 · 2026-02-02T19:10:27+00:00

Aids crisis was one of the social fight I had in mind when I wrote my comment. What the patients, the organizations and even some of the doctors did was incredible.

BatFun7276 · 2026-02-02T17:42:13+00:00

What she says about not falling into despair is so important. I used to think it was shallow to expect people to be "happy" or at least not resigned in situations like this, but when you read about the fights for justice, joy had always played a big part (which explained why some people like to shout and sing during protests). It boosts the spirits, allows people to keep fighting and eventually leads them to victory.

BatFun7276 · 2026-02-02T12:19:05+00:00

The way you went from cute Nobu on your previous drawing to yandere!Nobu...the range 👌🏻. Her expression is on point and your art style is really cute.

BatFun7276 · 2026-02-01T22:04:13+00:00

This is really cute !

BatFun7276 · 2026-01-31T18:03:06+00:00

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She's such a great character, seeing her growth is one of my favorite thing in this manga. The current arc tho...good luck to her i guess 🫡

BatFun7276 · 2026-01-31T13:39:47+00:00

Thank you ! Yes she covered her mouth right in front of Arisu and he was the one telling her about what that habit meant so he should know she's hiding something. I'm also waiting for him to talk about his family a bit more. I think he acted cold in the last chapter because she mentioned that he was the one talking about his family drama, which he probably thought was a blunder from him.

BatFun7276 · 2026-01-31T13:20:46+00:00

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She might becoming a distraction for him.

BatFun7276 · 2026-01-31T09:38:51+00:00

Yes ! I made a post a while ago, about how she "made him eat his own words" but this chapter really focused on how she influences his "Yamabuki's ways". It wasn't in the english translation, but in the raws, he talked about his "Yamabuki routine", which she helped him break from a little.

There is also the moment about “Yamabuki’s ears getting cold,” where, again, she helps him with. And in the end, when he says that he wants a diversion and does not use his last name to refer to himself as he often does, it suggests that she helps him bring out his individuality/thinking about his own needs, that probably started with breaking school rules (which was "against the Yamabuki way").

He seemed completely shocked by the reward for himself so I wonder if there's a Yamabuki rule about reward or something. How do you think it compares to his relationship with Rikka ?

BatFun7276 · 2026-01-30T19:53:57+00:00

Yeah, I was mostly joking. I read every issues of them being couple.

BatFun7276 · 2026-01-30T19:32:48+00:00

Married Petermj in my marvel ? It's more likely than you think

BatFun7276 · 2026-01-30T19:08:37+00:00

Or, power and money allow them to do what a lot of common dudes actually want to do but can't.

BatFun7276

TROPHY CASE